petrichor
by absolutefaith
Summary: it feels like coming home.
1. 1

_I have a problem. I just can't leave this fandom/couple alone. I'm always thinking about them. Mea culpa, I think._

 _This thing was supposed to be a continuation to my other fic "we never grow out of this feeling that we won't give up". But, as I read it again, I just couldn't think of a way to mess with it, I don't know how._

 _So, this is another attempt of making they find their ways towards each other, again._

 _I didn't reviewed this._

 _Oh, and I don't own Arrow. *sighs*_

* * *

She stares at the destruction of the lair.

They have a lot to work on. Reconstruct their work place, their city, their lives.

It still amazes her, even after four years of working with them (him!) how one single person is able to destroy everything they've worked so hard for.

Shrugging her shoulders, she sits on the floor near her computers and starts to work.

 **X**

Stretching his arms, he looks at her across the room.

She's working with her computers and she has that focused look on her face, so he knows better than to just interrupt her.

He doesn't know where they stand.

Sure, she said that she'll never leave him despite the broken engagement. But things are strained between them and if they're not working, she can barely look at him.

And it hurts his already damaged heart.

Lifting another table, he decides to not think about it too much, at least for now.

He has enough on his plate already.

 **X**

After a lot of hours of hard work, they're both exhausted.

She's laying on the floor, just staring at the ceiling. He's sitting across for her, with one leg bent over.

His left leg is almost touching hers. Trying not to think how comfortable they both feel, even in the cold, hard floor, they let it all sink in.

He opens his mouth to say something (he's not sure what), when she beats him to it.

"I think I'll head to my apartment now."

(He notices how she doesn't call her apartment "home". Stealing a glance from her, he can see that she's nervous, probably because she knows that he notice her slip.

She prays that he doesn't say anything about it.

He doesn't.)

He stands up and as he decides if he should offers her his hand, she takes that decision for him, standing up on her own.

She walks ahead and he follows her, just two steps behind.

He needs to fight off the need to touch her on her lower back; she hopes he doesn't notice how much she misses this little things.

Without looking at each other, they enter the elevator.

 **X**

They're out of the building and the night is so, so dark. There's not a cloud on the sky and the air is so dry that makes her nose itch.

He can see her car across the street.

Looking briefly at her, he sees that she's messing with her keys, probably thinking about something.

He puts his hand in his pockets, and opens his mouth.

"See you tomorrow?"

Startled, he looks into her blue eyes.

"Oliver?"

He nods. – "Yes, Felicity, see you tomorrow."

They part ways on the sideway, both wondering how to come back from this limbo of unsaid words and repressed feelings, considering if they'll be able to go back to what they once were.

* * *

 _Reviews are appreciated!_


	2. 2

_I'm really trying to finish this. I know how this is going to end and I can't wait to write it. But first, I need to do the hard part: the middle._

 _I was wondering if there's anyone out there who could help me write this. Because I know there are a lot of mistakes, but I can't trust google translate. Not only that, I need help from other fics to find the right words and stuff. So, shout out if anyone can help me! haha_

 _I don't own Arrow. *sighs*_

* * *

She turns on the lights as she enters her apartment.

Locking the door behind her, she drops her purse on the table near the door and walks towards the kitchen.

She doesn't know what she wants so she picks it all. A pint of mint chocolate chip, a glass of water and the bottle of wine.

Mixing them all will probably be bad for her health but, as she sits on her couch and turns on her TV, she can't help but wonder when, during these last four years, she took that into consideration.

She pours herself some wine and sits back.

Closing her eyes, for the millionth time she wonders why the hell she hasn't left like John and Thea.

She should have done that. After everything she had been through, she thinks it's only fair to her.

But, as usual, something keeps pulling her back.

Or rather, someone.

She sighs as she thinks back to everything they've been through. All the heartbreaks, the fights and lies. All the smiles, the declarations of love, the plans they've made together.

Her thoughts are everywhere and she can feel the beginning of a headache coming.

The next days are going to be though. Standing side by side with the man that she loves but at the same time can't stand to look into his eyes.

Laying on the couch, for the first time in a long, long time, she cries.

X

He stares at the dark city, resting his elbows on the railing.

A sardonic smile appears on his face. Months ago, he was standing in the same spot with Felicity in his arms. He was telling her that he is running for Mayor. Now, he's standing in the same spot, without Felicity, being the Mayor to a barely existent city.

He never believe in God or whatever. But he can't help believe that there's must be someone up there, who likes to play jokes with his life.

He wonders what she's still doing here. She left once before and now she had all the reasons to not come back. And yet, against all odds, she made it clear that she'll not leave.

He enters the loft and for a brief moment he can see pieces of the happy moments they've spent there.

Turning the lights off, he climbs to his room.

X

He's already there when she arrives the next day.

She doesn't bother to say anything. She knows that he felt her the moment she entered the lair. His shoulders are tense and he just nods, acknowledging her presence.

He didn't sleep, she thinks. She can't say that she knows all of him, but that look, she recognizes. His nightmares caught up with him last night and not for the first time, she wants to holds him.

He looks at her when she's checking her phone. Her face is puffy and she put on extra make up.

She'd been crying, he thinks. And he has to fight the constant urge to protect her from whatever it is that is hurting her heart.

(Even though he knows that, deep down, he's probably the reason why.)

When their eyes met, they already have their masks on. Nodding to one another, they turn around and continue their work.

* * *

 _Reviews are appreciated!_


	3. 3

_I need help guys, seriously._

 _I just finished this chapter while I should've been working. I'm gonna be fired, that's for sure._

 _I wanted to thank everyone who PMed me and left a review. You guys are amazing and I couldn't ask for better readers. Thank you!_

 _This is my first multichapter fic and I'm struggling a lot with it. There's so much I want to say and as I was writing this chapter, I kept taking pieces of it to put it in another chapter. I know, I'm confused as that! hahaha_

 _I didn't review this._

 _I don't own Arrow *sighs*_

* * *

This has been their routine for the past two weeks.

While he's doing his mayoral duties, she's at the lair tidying what she can, while her computers upload the system.

Then, he meets her there hours later because she can only do so much.

She thought it would take longer for them to put the lair back together but it doesn't. Sure, there's still things that needs improvement, like his training area and her babies.

But once, she can't remember when or who said it to her, she heard that sometimes, all you need is the foundation. The rest would build itself with hard work and compromise.

Looking at all they've accomplished during this past week, she knows that it'll be okay.

X

Two nights after it's all set, he starts patrolling again.

The city is a mess. Builds are thorn, families are broken and grieving and the crime rate is through the roof.

However, if only for a moment, he's able to forget all about it as he feels the wind hitting his face.

If there's one thing that he learned for everything he'd been through, is that you need to cherish the good things because you don't know how long they'll last.

So he does.

X

She knows that he's not listening to her anymore, so she stops.

Unlike her, maybe because of everything that happened with him, he's able to find joy in the little things. Things that people take for granted, that people don't pay much attention.

Not that she doesn't do that, but it's different and it's okay.

She sits back and is content to just imagine his face as he speeds up his bike.

X

It takes a while for her to notice the little things.

How her chair and her table are always clean. How he positioned the salmon ladder _right in front_ of her monitors.

And, how there's always a note attached to one of her monitors and she can recognize that handwriting anywhere.

Asking for little favors like, can you please make a background check on this guy and things like that.

She knows that he doesn't trust anyone but her. Also, she knows that one day the dam will break, and she'll have to analyze where they stand, what they want and how to accomplish that.

Taking a sip from her coffee, she decides that today is not that day.

X

He realizes that they have a new routine and he's okay with that.

It's been almost two months since they have started to work together again and a month since he started to leave little things for her back at the lair, and he realizes that they have a new routine.

During the day he works at the office or through the city and meets up with her later, at the lair.

Thea is not ready to return and a little part of him feels glad. He needs to work his issues with Felicity and he has a feeling that she'd only make things worse.

Feeling restless all of a sudden, he needs to break that routine. He needs to do something about it, otherwise things won't go back to what they used to be and his heart craves for it, for her.

He knows that this thin bubble that they're inside will burst at any minute. And if he doesn't do anything about it, the outcome won't be the one that he needs and he can't have that.

He won't accept it.

X

Like he feared, a month later he sees her walking out of a coffee shop with a man right behind her.

They could've been friends, but the way his eyes lingers on her tells him otherwise.

He hides behind a building and watches as the guy puts his arm at her lower back and his fists clenches. That's his spot.

Except that it isn't, not anymore, and he can't do a thing about it.

He took his time and he lost her, again.

And again, he knows that there's no one to blame but himself.

X

That night, she sees him hitting the dummy with more force than necessary and it clicks. He _knows_.

She knows that they have to talk.

Except that they don't and suddenly she's pissed and tired and just want to go home.

She doesn't need to tell him about anything, anymore and he doesn't have the right to be angry at her. He lied to her, broke her heart more times than the can count and yet he has the need to be angry because she decided to move on?

Not only that.

Why, why her heart and her mind and her soul has the need to make him stop hurting? She doesn't own him anything. Sure they are friends, or something like that, but it's her life, her _personal_ life, the life that she walked away months ago.

Standing up, she doesn't hear any noise coming from the training area, but her body isn't flush so she knows that he's not looking at her.

She always knows when he is and that's another thing for her to be angry about.

Picking her purse, she turns around and walks towards the elevator.

She doesn't need to explain herself to him, because they've always been good with the communication without words.

As she enters the elevator, she hears him punch the dummy harder than before but decide that she'll not add that to the list of things that she's pissed tonight.

She has enough on her plate already.

X

When he's alone at the lair, he punches the dummy again, and again and again.

He wants her back, he wants them all back but he knows that he won't have that.

Felicity is gone, Diggle is gone, Thea is gone and Laurel is dead.

He lost so, so much but the one thing that won't go away is his ability to screw things up.

So he punches harder, faster because that's all he can do.

* * *

 _Reviews are appreciated!_


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